The 118th New Zealand Congress took place in Auckland earlier this month. The championship was notable for a very wide range of strength. The top seed was IM Russell Dive (Wellington) while the bottom ranked qualifiers were Winston Yao (NZ Junior champion, Auckland) and Otago's Hamish Gold (South Island champion). However Dive proved to be severely out of form, and it was left to the ever-consistent second seed IM Anthony Ker (Wellington) to yet again demonstrate how to win a New Zealand Championship title. In this case his twelfth.
Ker sprang out to an early lead – the only player to win his first three games. He defeated his major rivals in rounds 3 and 4, before slowing down with a few draws. Some of Ker's games were a hairsbreadth away from being losses – particularly against FM Bob Smith (Mt Maunganui) and FM Bruce Watson (Auckland). Only his determined resistance and eel-like ability to slip from grasp salvaged 1½ points from these two lost positions. Having disposed of all challengers, Ker accelerated away towards the end. After ensuring first place with a round to spare he inflicted another defeat on the hapless Dive in the last round. Leading Scores: 1 Ker 9/11; 2-4 Antonio Krstev (Auckland), Smith & Watson 7½, 5 Leonard McLaren (Auckland) 7 (26 players).
The Major Open was won by Roy Seabrook, also with 9/11 after winning his last seven games. Ker managed the New Zealand double in winning the Rapid championship with 8/9, a point ahead of the field.
Today's game is the critical third round game from the championship between Ker and one of the pre-tournament favourites, Auckland FM Mike Steadman, who is playing White.
1.Nf3 d6 2.d4 Bg4 Wade's Defence, named after New Zealand's first professional player, Bob Wade. 3.e3 c6 4.c4 Nd7 5.Be2 e5 6.h3 Bxf3 7.Bxf3 g6 8.Nc3 Ngf6 9.O-O Bg7 10.b4! --- This pawn thrust serves several strategic aims: to gain space on the queenside, weaken the black pawn chain and enhance the power of both his bishops against the pawns on c6 and d6. 10.--- O-O 11.b5 Qc7 12.bxc6 bxc6 13.Ba3 Rfe8 14.dxe5?! --- This move releases the central tension and gives Black a comfortable game. White could have held a small advantage by either 14 Rb1 e4 15 Be2 or if he wanted to stop Black's pawn advance for now then 14 Qd3, when his two bishops offer long term chances. 14.--- Nxe5! 15.Bxd6!? --- Taking the pawn rather than the retreat 15 Be2, retaining the two bishops and his kingside pawns intact. White is prepared to defend in return for a central pawn in the pocket. 15.--- Nxf3+ 16.gxf3 Qd7 17.Kg2 Red8 18.Bh2 Qe6 19.Qe2 Nh5?! Aiming for pressure against the kingside weaknesses. A more central posting for the knight was 19... Nd7 20 Rac1 Nc5 blockading the weak c4 pawn and dominating its white counterpart. 20.Rac1 Bxc3!? Consistently pursuing the kingside strategy and eliminating the knight which was about to become more active. 21.Rxc3 Rd4 22.e4 --- Black threatened 22...Rh4 winning the h3 pawn. An alternative defence was 22 Bg3, when Nf4+ 23 Bxf4 Rxf4 24 Qd3 Rh4 25 Rh1 defends comfortably and the black rook on h4 will be out of play. 22.--- Rad8 23.Qe3 c5 24.Qg5 Rc8 25.Qe5 Qa6 Black looks to regains his pawn at last, but the move 25 ...Qd7! threatens to win White's queen by 26 ...f6!, so 26 Qg5 is forced when 26...Qe6 repeats the position. 26.Rb1 Qxa2 27.Rb8 Rdd8 28.Rb7? --- Allowing a rook invasion on the second rank that passes the initiative over to Black. White's best move was Rcb3! activating his remaining passive rook and threatening to exchange off all rooks. He is then able to win on the queenside with his active queen and bishop while the black knight is stranded on h5. E.g. 28 Rcb3! Qd2! 29 R3b7 Rxb8 30 Rxb8 a5 31 Qxc5 and White has the advantage. 28.--- Rd2! 29.Bg1? --- Allowing a fatal switch to the back rank. The alternative was 29 Bg3 Nxg3 30 Qxg3 Rcd8! 31 Rcb3 Rxf2+ 32 Qxf2 Rd2 33 Rb2 Rxf2+ 34 Rxf2 Qxc4 35 Rxa7 when White should be able to draw. 29.--- Qa1! Also winning is 29...Rd1!, but White misses the best defence 30 Rb8! Rxb8 31 Qxb8+ Kg7 when White is still helpless against the mating net around his king – e.g. 32 Bh2!? Qe1! 33 Be5+ f6! 34 Qc7+ Kh6 35 Bf4+ g5! 36 Bxd2 Qxd2 and the rook can't be saved due to 37 Re3 Nf4+ 38 Kf1 (38 Kg3 Qd1 39 Kg4 Kg6!) Qd1+ 39 Re1 Qxf3 and white must take the knight with his queen. 30.f4? Rd1 31.Bh2 Rh1 32.Qd5 Qf1+ 33.Kf3 Rf8 White resigns
A dozen titles for Ker
Problem: White to play and mate in 3.
The 118th New Zealand Congress took place in Auckland earlier this month. The championship was notable for a very wide range of strength. The top seed was IM Russell Dive (Wellington) while the bottom ranked qualifiers were Winston Yao (NZ Junior champion, Auckland) and Otago's Hamish Gold (South Island champion). However Dive proved to be severely out of form, and it was left to the ever-consistent second seed IM Anthony Ker (Wellington) to yet again demonstrate how to win a New Zealand Championship title. In this case his twelfth.
Ker sprang out to an early lead – the only player to win his first three games. He defeated his major rivals in rounds 3 and 4, before slowing down with a few draws. Some of Ker's games were a hairsbreadth away from being losses – particularly against FM Bob Smith (Mt Maunganui) and FM Bruce Watson (Auckland). Only his determined resistance and eel-like ability to slip from grasp salvaged 1½ points from these two lost positions. Having disposed of all challengers, Ker accelerated away towards the end. After ensuring first place with a round to spare he inflicted another defeat on the hapless Dive in the last round. Leading Scores: 1 Ker 9/11; 2-4 Antonio Krstev (Auckland), Smith & Watson 7½, 5 Leonard McLaren (Auckland) 7 (26 players).
The Major Open was won by Roy Seabrook, also with 9/11 after winning his last seven games. Ker managed the New Zealand double in winning the Rapid championship with 8/9, a point ahead of the field.
Today's game is the critical third round game from the championship between Ker and one of the pre-tournament favourites, Auckland FM Mike Steadman, who is playing White.
1.Nf3 d6
2.d4 Bg4
Wade's Defence, named after New Zealand's first professional player, Bob Wade.
3.e3 c6
4.c4 Nd7
5.Be2 e5
6.h3 Bxf3
7.Bxf3 g6
8.Nc3 Ngf6
9.O-O Bg7
10.b4! ---
This pawn thrust serves several strategic aims: to gain space on the queenside, weaken the black pawn chain and enhance the power of both his bishops against the pawns on c6 and d6.
10.--- O-O
11.b5 Qc7
12.bxc6 bxc6
13.Ba3 Rfe8
14.dxe5?! ---
This move releases the central tension and gives Black a comfortable game. White could have held a small advantage by either 14 Rb1 e4 15 Be2 or if he wanted to stop Black's pawn advance for now then 14 Qd3, when his two bishops offer long term chances.
14.--- Nxe5!
15.Bxd6!? ---
Taking the pawn rather than the retreat 15 Be2, retaining the two bishops and his kingside pawns intact. White is prepared to defend in return for a central pawn in the pocket.
15.--- Nxf3+
16.gxf3 Qd7
17.Kg2 Red8
18.Bh2 Qe6
19.Qe2 Nh5?!
Aiming for pressure against the kingside weaknesses. A more central posting for the knight was 19... Nd7 20 Rac1 Nc5 blockading the weak c4 pawn and dominating its white counterpart.
20.Rac1 Bxc3!?
Consistently pursuing the kingside strategy and eliminating the knight which was about to become more active.
21.Rxc3 Rd4
22.e4 ---
Black threatened 22...Rh4 winning the h3 pawn. An alternative defence was 22 Bg3, when Nf4+ 23 Bxf4 Rxf4 24 Qd3 Rh4 25 Rh1 defends comfortably and the black rook on h4 will be out of play.
22.--- Rad8
23.Qe3 c5
24.Qg5 Rc8
25.Qe5 Qa6
Black looks to regains his pawn at last, but the move 25 ...Qd7! threatens to win White's queen by 26 ...f6!, so 26 Qg5 is forced when 26...Qe6 repeats the position.
26.Rb1 Qxa2
27.Rb8 Rdd8
28.Rb7? ---
Allowing a rook invasion on the second rank that passes the initiative over to Black. White's best move was Rcb3! activating his remaining passive rook and threatening to exchange off all rooks. He is then able to win on the queenside with his active queen and bishop while the black knight is stranded on h5. E.g. 28 Rcb3! Qd2! 29 R3b7 Rxb8 30 Rxb8 a5 31 Qxc5 and White has the advantage.
28.--- Rd2!
29.Bg1? ---
Allowing a fatal switch to the back rank. The alternative was 29 Bg3 Nxg3 30 Qxg3 Rcd8! 31 Rcb3 Rxf2+ 32 Qxf2 Rd2 33 Rb2 Rxf2+ 34 Rxf2 Qxc4 35 Rxa7 when White should be able to draw.
29.--- Qa1!
Also winning is 29...Rd1!, but White misses the best defence 30 Rb8! Rxb8 31 Qxb8+ Kg7 when White is still helpless against the mating net around his king – e.g. 32 Bh2!? Qe1! 33 Be5+ f6! 34 Qc7+ Kh6 35 Bf4+ g5! 36 Bxd2 Qxd2 and the rook can't be saved due to 37 Re3 Nf4+ 38 Kf1 (38 Kg3 Qd1 39 Kg4 Kg6!) Qd1+ 39 Re1 Qxf3 and white must take the knight with his queen.
30.f4? Rd1
31.Bh2 Rh1
32.Qd5 Qf1+
33.Kf3 Rf8
White resigns
0-1
Solution: 1 Qe8+! Kxe8 2 Bb5+ Kd8(f8) 3 Re8#.